The Road Less Traveled
by Light Destroyer
Summary: Kevin Gravel is an Army Solder that went AWOL with five of his friends only to find that life with untrained civilians is harder than he thought. They face Walkers, Bandits, and even Woodbury. Will link the TV show universe and the Video Game universe together. Eventual tie into Pre-season 3.


Kevin Gravel opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling while he stirred in the guest rooms bed. lifting the covers off of him as he sat up yawning and placed his feet on the ground and stood up stretching out his arms. Kevin looked down to the floor and saw one of the fourteen other residents of the small farm. He stepped over the sleeping woman and walked over to the duffel bag that held his dirty dirt covered clothes and pulled out a pair of jeans and a tan button up shirt. Kevin slipped on the pants and buttoned up the shirt except for neck and the one below it. He tucked the tan shirt into his pants, feeling his muscular body checking to make sure all the pockets didn't have anything in them. He turned to the the room when he saw a man in about his mid forties zipping up a his jumpsuit and rolled his shoulder. On is name tag was Doug

"Kevin," The rather large but not heavy set man turned to face him with a warm smile he always has on turned to face him. "We gonna check the perimeter?"

"Once Sam and Hank get up," Kevin said scooping up his M4 leaning on the wall. "How is Louise doing?"

"Well," Doug rubbed the back of his head ruffling his black hair. "After what Hank did to her father both her and her mother are taking it bad. I just checked on the both of them and she said that her mother has gone into a trance."

"I really hope they get better," Kevin said as he looked at Doug thinking why Hank smashed in Arthur's head after he had a heart attack. "Come on, we don't want to wake the other three."

Kevin slung his M4 on his left side and held onto the strap as they walked down the hallway passing the master bedroom and two others and started to go down the stairs looking at the photos of Louise's family. He turned to the bottom of the stairs and he smelled the familiar smell of coffee. Kevin reached the bottom of the stairs and looked down the hallway past the dinning room and into the kitchen. Kevin smiled as saw a woman standing in the corner looking out the window into the fields of the Ranch. She was very womanly in appearance, as far as southern women go. She has a very photogenic face and brown medium length hair that only comes to the base of her neck. She stood in her cowboy boots with her denim jeans tucked into them like normal with a cotton flannel shirt buttoned up half way with a gray shirt underneath of it also tucked in. She looked over to Kevin and he saw her smile sweetly to him and looked at the coffee maker which was finished filling up.

"I will let you be," Doug said as he placed his hand on Kevin's shoulder. "I will be outside with Tyler on watch."

"Alright," Kevin nodded as he walked over to the woman. "You are up early Catherine."

"Well I couldn't really sleep," Catherine said as she looked outside again with a freshly poured mug of coffee. "It is nice that you, Tyler, Jax, Hank and Amy went AWOL from the army. You and your friends have done a lot for us."

"Yeah," Kevin looked out to Tyler standing on the windmill's improved watchtower. He was a rather large African American like his twin brother Jax. The bother had a more built muscular body then the rest but Tyler had one thing that Jax didn't a scar that went from his right eyebrow to his temple where he fell on his head as a child. "We didn't take too kindly to executing civies. Has Tyler been out there all night?"

"Yeah," Catherine sipped her coffee and looked at the five tents outside. "Those seven new people need to be getting inside somewhere. The nights will be getting colder and all they have are tents."

"Well," Kevin thought of something but didn't say it. "We can put them to work. The fence is going to need some fortification soon. If they can help out maybe we can see what Louise feels about them moving into the living room then."

"Good idea," Catherine sipped her coffee again and looked at Kevin. "You look like shit this morning."

"Been thinking," Kevin said looking down into her soft hazel eyes with his piercing green eyes.

"About me," Catherine teased Kevin with a smile.

"You wish," Kevin said jokingly looking outside seeing Hank was awake. "Bout what to do with him. He smashed in Louise's father's head after he had a heart attack and died. I already took away his guns and put them in the rack but he is walking around outside silent as a tree."

"I know," Catherine watched hank pass by. "Speaking of guns I would like to show you something."

Kevin watched as Catherine left the kitchen corner and walked into the living room where the gun case sat, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Catherine undid the lock and showed Kevin the contents. Two high powered rifles, a M1917 revolver, and two 1911s. Other than the M4, and his M9, and his four other Army friends had was it. "We need more if we want to defend the camp correctly. Right now I am using Amy's second M9, Tyler and Jax are sharing their M16A1 and they each have M9s, Hank's shotgun is loaned to Sam and his pistol Doug has that's all we got."

"When Doug, Sam, Hank, and I are done with the fence I will take out two of those new people to town," Kevin sighed looking at the guns. She was right with twenty-one people walking about they need more. "How is Hershel's group doing?"

"Shawn was bit," Catherine said locking up the gun case. "He turned last night and bit Annette."

"Jesus," Kevin rubbed his short black hair. "How are they taking it?"

"They said that they dealt with it," Catherine said. "I just hope it wasn't anyone in the Greene's that did it."

"Yeah," Kevin said nodding. He stood there with Catherine awkwardly before he finally cleared his throat. "Well I better wake Sam up, you know how paramedics can be."

Catherine laughed and put her hands on her hips, "Yeah, she can be a bitch."

"Language," a female voice happened from the kitchen. Kevin looked up to Amy. She had a cup of coffee in her hands and she was sipping it. Her tan skin matched the cabinet's color but that isn't what made his eyebrows raise. She was standing in her military pants with a belt on and her boots, but without her shirt on showing her black lace bra. "I am pretty sure Sam wouldn't like you two talking about her."

Catherine covered her eyes and turned to Kevin, "And then there is your indecent private."

"Relax," Kevin snickered. "She is only after men. Amy did you just wake up?"

"Yes sir," Amy made a mock salute with a smile. "So Sarge, when is that gun run?"

"'Bout two hours from now," Kevin still had his smile on. "If you want to go I would like you to at least have a shirt and pants on got that private?"

"Sir," Smiled cutely to Kevin. "Yes Sir."

Kevin watched Amy walk away then he felt an elbow in his stomach, "Watch it horn dog."

"H-hey," Kevin put up his defense. "I keep it professional. No sex with anyone in my unit. Plus, I am sure Tyler has a thing for Amy. Anyways I am going to get Sam up-"

"Already up," Sam said as she slipped on her black beanie covering her medium length black hair. She was putting on her medical bag on when she looked at Kevin. "Ready to leave?"

"We've been waiting on you," Kevin slipped on his boots and fixed them like he did in the Army. The two left the house meeting Doug and Jax on the porch. Jax was similar to his brother except for the scar and he was a Private First Class. "Jackson, Take place for Tyler in about thirty minutes. I don't know who was supposed to have watch after him but he has been up there for eight hours straight."

"Alright," Jax's deep bass like voice grumbled from his mouth. "I saw Dave head off into the woods with toilet paper. Looks to me like he was going to use the head."

"Noted," Kevin looked over to Hank who was sitting on a fence post rocking back and forth. The man was in bad shape, he hasn't taken care of shaving, he had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. He hasn't taken a shower, even his neatly shaven head was now a garbled mess of his black hair and muddy leaves. "Hank, saddle up!"

The four started to make their way over to the tool shed out back when Doug started to hum. Sam shot him a glare showing that she wasn't a fan of mornings, "Sorry."

"Alright," Kevin unlocked the shed and he handed Sam a hatchet, Doug a baseball bat, Hank got a shovel and Kevin picked out a kukri they brought in a week ago. "We move in teams of two. Hank, Sam you two will start at the main gate and work your way around on the left side. Doug and I will take the right and cover near the bog. Questions or statements?"

"Yeah," Sam wasn't happy on her partner obviously as she had a scowl on her face. "Why am I stuck with crazy here?"

"Because," Kevin looked at Sam. "If he got hurt I know you would patch him up right?"

"Yeah," Sam shook her head in anger. "I guess."

"Good," Kevin closed the shed and locked it. "Let's get started then."

"C'mon crazy," Sam said as she walked away with Hank.

"Not very friendly that one is," Doug said as Sam was out of earshot. "She may be tough as nails but she also seems to hate everyone."

"You know what happened to her once the shit hit the fan right," Kevin looked at Doug beginning to walk to the gate. Doug shook his head then looked at Kevin. "She is an EMS Paramedic, so she saw the first on long before us. As she was heading out to a call they got nothing but calls galore about rabid people and such. The team got to a woman who was in a car crash and they found out that Biters were around. She watched everyone in her team get torn to shreds by one Biter and then she ran."

"Damn," Doug looked to Sam with a saddened look. "Now I feel bad for joking with her."

"Yeah," Kevin looked at Sam and nodded. "I would too... I would too. Anyways lets get to it.

Kevin turned the direction that they needed to check. Doug kept striking up small talk to get Kevin's mind off of Hank and the situation they were in. Kevin zoned back into the world as Doug was talking about some high school buddies at some party, "Doug."

"Yeah," Doug looked at Kevin with his ever so gentle face and smiled. "What's up?"

"Nothing I-," Kevin was interrupted by a scream out in the distance. Kevin looked at Doug who had his mouth wide open looking at Kevin. "MOVE IT!"

Kevin charged to the screams. As they got closer he clenched his weapon to the point his knuckles turned white. Kevin made it over to the screams and he saw what exactly happened. The fence was knocked down and about ten or so infected were walking in on top of Dave. The man flailed in a fail attempt to get away as a woman bit into his leg. He screamed and howled looking back up too three other newcomers. A rather large sixty-year-old man was trying to pull back a blonde woman that was Dave's daughter back from the mass of bodies. A young man came storming past the two and he rainbow kicked the closest infected knocking it flat onto it's back. The young man stood back up and grabbed a branch on the ground breaking it across another advancing infected smashing it's face inward. Kevin heard a war cry sound out from behind him and the large mass of Doug passed by him and he clubbed the closest infected knocking it back towards the rest. Kevin raised his Kukri and went towards Dave to see if he could save him. Kevin brought down the weapon completely severing the top half of the head. Kevin slashed at another and he saw Dave. The man was gasping for air as another infected tore into his neck. Kevin brought his kukri on the exact infected stopping it from further harm to Dave. Kevin looked up for a second and saw Hank slam the edge of the shovel down on top of an infected splitting it's head almost in a complete half.

With the joining of Sam and Hank the five were able to take down the ten and make sure nothing else was on it's way. Kevin pulled his blade out of the last infected he leaned up and let a breath of exhaustion out. Kevin then walked over to the dying David and fell to his knees. He man reached out and grabbed Kevin's hand gurgling for air but all he got was his own blood. Kevin sat looking at the man in pure sadness and watched as the man's pleading green eyes started to cry. Kevin heard footsteps and crying as his daughter fell to her knees and grabbed his head. Her young face was full of tears and she cried out his name multiple times in hope that he would magically get back to normal. Hank sat down on parts of fence breathless from the fight while Sam turned away leaving the young girl to her grief. Doug frowned breathing hard as he looked at the three and then too the old man then to the last one young man. Kevin saw the man's last breathing gasps as he tried to say his daughter's name. Out of the gurgles Kevin caught Nancy, after he caught the name he felt David's grasp let out.

"Doug," Kevin immediately switched his flip and turned into his inhuman self. "You and Sam get those three out of here and tell the group we need a funeral. Hank come here and help me with David.

Doug walked over to Nancy and reached down to pick her up. Nancy then started to thrash and plead for her to stay and started to scream that David is fine. Doug got elbowed in the crotch loosening his grip on her. She crawled over to David and Kevin reaching up she brought her hand across Kevin's face. She started to go off on him calling him a "Monster", a "Demon from Hell", a "Plague", and a "Murderer". She reached up and slapped him with each word putting emphasis on them while everyone watched in horror and fear on what Kevin would do. Kevin caught her last slap and looked at her with his sorrow filled eyes. She stopped in fear and saw his eyes and just broke down crying. Doug tried for a second time and gently picked her up. He was surprised as she complied and the five walked away.

Kevin turned back to David and he raised his blade. As he was about to bring it down her felt a hand grab his wrist and Hank looked at him, "Let me do it. One man should not have all that grief."

"Thanks," Kevin lowered his weapon and heard Hank's shovel stab into David's head. "Let's get him to the funeral area. That girl, Nancy, she is going to need help getting through this."

"I guess," Hank grabbed David's lifeless arms.

"Man," Kevin was slightly agitated from Hank's reaction. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Hank glared at Kevin.

"Bullshit," Kevin returned the glare. "Private Gentry I am ordering you to tell me what is wrong!"

"Alright fine SIR," Hank got in Kevin's face. "You want to know what is on my mind. WE ARE INNFECTED! Everyone is, you, me, Louise's father, EVERYONE. That is what has been on my mind, that is why I smashed in his head when he had a heart attack, so give me a break!"

Kevin stood in silence as he pondered if Hank said was true or that he was nuts. Kevin shook his head and started to drag David's body back to the house. The two got to the house not even speaking another words as they got him over to the funeral area. Three recently filled graves made Kevin look down at his feet. Doug looked at Kevin as he climbed out of the freshly dug grave and he helped David's body down into the pit and then put the dirt onto him. Kevin heard a sniffling behind him and he saw the remaining six newcomers standing behind the three. Kevin put the last shovel full onto the grave and he leaned it against the tree.

"Thanks," Kevin heard a voice behind him. He turned to see the same elderly man from before. "David was a good man."

"I wish I could have known him," Kevin looked down to the grave then back to the old man.

"I kind of wish I did as well," The old man had a very comfortable feeling about him. He reached out his hand. "Malcolm Renal the third."

"Kevin Gravel," Kevin shook the old man's hand and smiled.

"That young man that helped you guys," Malcolm pointed back to the large man that assisted them. He was rather skinny but had a stance of power. He had a very strong face that showed his cheek bones and wide jaw. He had one arm around Nancy's shoulder staring at the grave. "That is my Nephew, Jonah Danton, he is a good kid but young and stupid. He is the last thing I have of a family in this world."

"Well," Kevin put his hand on Malcolm's shoulder and smiled. "Then we shall keep you two together."

Kevin saw the five start walking off and heading back to the barn and Kevin cleared his throat, "You all gather up your stuff and head on over to the house. We don't want you out here anymore."

Malcolm's expression changed from grim to hopeful as he quickly made his way back to the Barn to get his stuff. Kevin made his way back to the house and he suddenly heard another scream from the house. He flipped his switch again and charged into the house without any thought. Kevin ran through the front door into the hallway and heard the screams from the second floor. He climbed the steps and checked the two bedrooms and saw Tyler getting his shirt on.

"Where are the screams," Kevin frantically asked.

"Louise's room," Tyler's deep voice grumbled as he followed Kevin down the hall. Kevin got to the door first and started to turn the knob to find it was locked. Kevin heard another scream of agony and fright from the other side. "Move it Kev!"

Kevin looked over his shoulder and he saw the large African American tuck his shoulder in and slam into it with all of his might knocking the door off it's hinges. Kevin walked into the room and saw Louise's mother clawing at her trying to bite her. Kevin's first reaction kicked in and he pulled out his pistol and put a round into her mother's head. Tyler caught Louise before she feel onto the ground and checked her over. Kevin slowly approached them with his pistol still level with the body.

"How is she," Kevin looked down to Tyler.

"Not bit," Tyler looked up to the bed and at the mother. "The hell happened she wasn't bit r anything. How could this happen?"

"We always come back," Kevin turned around and saw Hank emotionlessly looking at Louise's mother.

"The fuck,"Kevin saw the rest of his people walk into the room and felt bad for what happened.

"Everyone," Kevin cleared his throat. "I don't know how to say it but, It's not the bite that can only change you, Everyone is infected. No matter how we die we will just come back."

Amy turned white as she looked like she was about to faint. Doug looked in fear at everyone and backed into Jax who just accepted the news and kept his emotions clear. Catherine started to shake and walked over to Kevin and embraced him for comfort. Sam stormed out of the room in a fit of rage and Tyler just helped Louise up.

"Jax," Kevin looked at the man. "You and Doug dig another grave."


End file.
